Thunder Bay's Municipal Tax Levy remains unchanged heading into February. It remains at 2.36 per cent before growth and 2.30 per cent after growth. Co.
A slight increase to the Municipal Tax Levy after the second night of budget deliberations. The levy is up to 2.36 per cent before growth and 2.30 per.
The increase to the Municipal Tax Levy is south of three per cent. Following the nearly four hour session Tuesday, council helped the levy move to 2.3.
City Hall - Staff Photo
The Municipal Tax Levy remains below the starting point of 2% heading into February.
Wednesday’s third session of budget deliberations saw the levy increase to 1.98% before growth and 1.75% after growth thanks to a few increases.
In the six hour session, the elected body earmarked $67,900 to freeze transit fares for the remainder of 2021 and added $15,000 each towards the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy, Age Friendly Thunder Bay and Poverty Free Thunder Bay.
Council also approved a recommended one-time cut from administration of $12,000 for outside boards but soundly defeated three other suggestions for reductions totaling $147,200. They included $109,000 towards the CEDC Reserve Fund, $100,000 for the Clean Green and Beautiful Reserve Fund and a total of $38,200 for CEDC cleaning related expenses.
Thunder Bay Expressway (CC)
The Mayor is set to table a budget reduction measure next week.
Bill Mauro indicates he met with provincial officials, including the Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney, to discuss spending $150,000 on an updated environmental assessment for the Northwest Arterial, which is an extension of Wardrope Avenue to connect the Thunder Bay Expressway.
The measure was actually part of the original 40 recommendations from administration to help council save about $2.6 million.
“[Mulroney] confirmed for me, I’d say about 90 per cent, that we don’t have to spend the money on the environmental assessment. You don’t have to have the Northwest Arterial built before you can start work on the Thunder Bay Expressway,” Mauro indicates. “I’ll likely bring it back during the February 2nd meeting. It’s a bit of catch-all meeting that we have at the end of the budget session before we ratify where anybody can bring anything back from previous evening